Spanish rule in the central Americas ended in 1812 following the Mexican War of Independence. In 1824, Costa Rica was part of the Federal Republic of Central America, along with other states such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The region of Guanacaste was part of Nicaragua and bordered by the northern part of Costa Rica. In the three major cities in Guanacaste, there had been open meetings discussing a switch from Nicaragua to Costa Rica. A referendum was called to decide on what to do. In the referendum, Nicoya and Santa Cruz voted yes to joining Costa Rica, while Liberia voted to stay with Nicaragua. The overall result was in favour of the annexation by Costa Rica.
The Central American Federal Republic duly passed the law and signed it on July 25th 1824, allowing Guanacaste Province to become part of Costa Rican territory.
Unsurprisingly this holiday is marked with most fervour in Guanacaste. The streets are usually filled out with handicrafts and traditional Costa Rican food, like tamales and “gallos” – grilled meat with tortillas and salad. Concerts, fireworks and folk dances are also part of the celebrations.